Small 95 page booklet published in 1857 by Fairfax, Melbourne and inscribed by W. D. Lang.non-fictionRev John Dunmore Lang's defence of his son who was imprisoned for his part in the fraud at the Bank of New South Wales Ballarat and Clunes in 1854.drake, lang, rev john dunmore lang, ballarat, clunes, select committee of enquiry

This wooden spoke handle is from the wheel of the sailing ship “Success”, a former immigrant ship and later a convict hulk at Melbourne. The sailing ship “Success” was a teakwood vessel built in Natmoo (Natmaw), Tenasserim, Burma (now Myanmar) in 1840 for Cockerell & Co., Calcutta. Over its lifetime of 106 years, it was used to trade in the Indian subcontinent, to transport free emigrants to Australia, as a prison hulk in the Port of Melbourne for both hardened criminals, and later for women and boys, as a storage vessel for ammunition, a reformatory, and as a floating museum sent around the world to tell the tale of the convict era. During the time “Success” was used as a museum, pamphlets were distributed to paying customers advertising erroneously, that the “Success” was the oldest ship in the world. The “Success” sank and was re-floated twice: the first in Sydney in 1885, the second in the USA in 1918, before it was finally burned and sank on July 4, 1946 in Lake Erie, near Sandusky, Ohio, in 1946. Although the “Success” was home to prisoners while berthed in the Port of Melbourne, it was not used as convict transport. There has been speculation that Ned Kelly’s infamous armour was displayed on the “Success”, but this cannot be verified. Another link to Ned Kelly is Henry Johnson, an Irish prisoner on the vessel Success, who was implicated in the murder of the ship’s warder. and later, Johnson was supposedly a bushranger with Ned Kelly. It is also rumoured that Ned Kelly’s father John was a passenger on the Success, but this is also unverified. There are over 16 other ships named “Success”, although one in particular causes some confusion when researching “Success” in Australia. This other ship – the “HMS Success” - was a 28 gun frigate built in1823, which was broken up in 1849. It also sailed to Australia.Thiswooden ship's wheel handle was once part of the ship’s wheel of the sailing ship “Success” , which was, built in Burma in 1840. The “Success” is connected to the history of Australia because she was used as a merchant ship to transport immigrants to Australia, and was also used as a prison ship in Melbourne, a storage vessel, and as a floating “convict” museum, which travelled the world. Ship's wheel handle. Hndle from the wheel of sailing ship, the “Success”. The shaped handle is domed at one end, becoming narrower towards the other end, then flattened out into a beveled circle. The handle has an inscription written in pencil."Success"flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, sailing ship success, ship's wheel spoke, ship's steering wheel, prison ship, prison hulks, convict ship, spoke handle, ship's wheel, navigation equipment, steering wheel

Framed portrait of George Maxwell who was President of the Association for the Advancement of the Blind 1920-1935. It is part of a series of paintings commissioned by the AFB Board to commemorate the work of past presidents of the organisation. Mr Maxwell is turned slightly away from the viewer, and wears a blue suit, white high collared shirt and a blue tie. George Maxwell was President of Vision Australia from 1920 to 1935. After an early teaching career he studied law, was admitted to the Bar and became one of Victoria’s great criminal lawyers and later a Federal Member of Parliament. He took an interest the welfare of blind people from his student days. A detached retina in 1920 led to total blindness nine years later, which gave him a great empathy for those with a similar affliction. Through his contacts he was also instrumental in obtaining the first voting rights for blind Australians. Up until 1902 blind people were unable to vote if they couldn’t write with a pen. George Maxwell was working at that time at the legal firm of Strongman and Crouch one of the partners, Mr. Crouch, was elected as a member of Parliament. When the Commonwealth Electoral Bill was being drafted, Mr. Crouch has a clause added enabling blind people to vote in Federal elections, constituting a world first. But perhaps his greatest achievement was obtaining the pension for legally blind people. Until 1910 only those who met the age and means test criteria were eligible. With the help of his legal and political friends a bill was passed which granted the pension to all persons over 16 years of age who were unable to work due to physical disability or blindness. Until this time these people had to be supported by their families or go to a benevolent institution. This was a world first and gave to blind and vision impaired people a measure of independence which increased both their self reliance and self esteem. 1 art original in gold/brown frameThe plaque at the base of the painting reads 'Honourable George A Maxwell Q.C. / President 1920-1935 / Association for Advancement of the Blind'.association for the advancement of the blind, george maxwell